Levellers Foundation Mega Tree Plantation at Brigade of the Guards Regimental Centre Kamptee supports Indian Army’s Mission of Go Green and Ek Ped Ma ke Naam.

1,550-tree plantation held on 12 September 2026 at the GRC Campus was inaugurated by the GRC Team and Smt. Hemlata S. Chaphale, Director, Levellers Foundation.

Kamptee, Maharashtra: The Brigade of the Guards Regimental Centre (GRC), Kamptee, has taken another significant step towards strengthening green cover within its campus with a large-scale plantation drive carried out in support of the Indian Army’s Go Green mission and Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative.

Supporting the above initiative, Levellers Foundation team led by Ar. Samruddhi S Chaphale successfully implemented the mission through selection, supply and plantation of 1550 trees. The drive brought together the GRC Team, GRC families, volunteers and members of Levellers Foundation in an extensive plantation effort planned and executed over several weeks that has inspired collective participation towards building a greener, healthier and more sustainable environment and contributed towards the environmental conservation and welfare of troops families and the community.

Ar. Samruddhi S. Chaphale, Founder and Director of Levellers Foundation, said the opportunity to contribute to the environmental initiative at the Brigade of the Guards Regimental Centre held special significance for the organisation. The Indian Army’s focus on environmental conservation, she said, closely aligned with the Foundation’s work in protecting urban ecology and expanding green cover. Ar. Samruddhi S. Chaphale credited her mother, Smt. Hemlata Sanjay Chaphale, for the encouragement and moral support that contributed to the formation of Levellers Foundation.

The final plantation list for the GRC Kamptee project comprises 1,550 plants, including a wide mix of flowering, fruit-bearing and ornamental species. The plantation includes 200 Kaner, 150 Madhu Kamini, 100 Mango, 100 Jamun, 100 Amrud, 100 Mosambi and 100 Jackfruit plants, 100 Mini Ixora. Other varieties planted across the campus include Ashoka, Tecoma Gavli Chavli, Kashmiri Roses, Bamboo, Chiku, Water Apple, Ram Phal, Setu,, Bakul, Terminalia Metallica, Cassia Fistula, Tabebuia rosea, Spathodea, Caesalpinia, Areca Palm, Christmas Tree, Vidya or Morpankhi and Song of India.

The plantation effort required close coordination between the Levellers Foundation team and the GRC team, beginning with site visits to identify the required areas for plantation, quality large size pit markings and drilling followed by plant selection of over 6 feet tall trees to its procurement, maintenance protocol that included watering of plants and continuing through preparations for the final drive. The coordination played an important role in executing the project on the ground.

The Levellers Foundation team under the able leadership of Ar. Samruddhi S. Chaphale included Swapnil Dhuri, Sankalp Godghate, Tanaya S. Chaphale, Prarthana Dongre, Imran Siddique, Rakshit Bhaladhare and Ishika Warwade, along with supporting partners.

The initiative also builds on Levellers Foundation’s ongoing plantation work in Nagpur. Since 2024, the organisation has been planting and maintaining trees at Ravi Nagar Vasahat, with the long-term aim of improving the area’s green cover.

Present at the programme was also Shri Baba Deshpande, widely known as the Tree Man of Nagpur, who has planted more than 12,000 trees in the city since the 1970s. His long-standing work in tree plantation and his mentorship have been a source of inspiration for the Foundation’s environmental initiatives.

The occasion also carried a personal connection with the Indian Army for Ar. Samruddhi Chaphale. Her grandfather, Late Shri Chintamanrao Sitaram Chaphale, had served in the Special Forces of the Indian Army. She dedicated her contribution to the plantation drive to his memory, describing the opportunity to work within an Army establishment as especially meaningful.

The Foundation also expressed its gratitude to the GRC Team for their guidance and cooperation during the planning and execution of the project.

With the GRC Kamptee plantation, Levellers Foundation’s overall plantation work has crossed approximately 2,000 trees, further expanding its ongoing environmental initiatives.

The newly planted trees and plants are intended to contribute to the long-term green cover of the GRC campus and support the Indian Army’s broader commitment to environmental responsibility.

The drive also demonstrated the value of collaboration between the Armed Forces and civil society organisations in creating green spaces that can continue to benefit the campus and its ecosystem for years to come.

The Levellers Foundation team is also in talks with the GRC Team for future aligned projects aimed at creating continuous and long-term environmental impact.

Jai Hind. Jai Bharat. Vande Mataram.